Last week, the President of the United States focused the world's
attention on Iraqs continued defiance of UN resolutions. Saddam
Husseins regime claimed yesterday that Iraq would comply
unconditionally. While this new statement is evidence that world
pressure can force the Iraqi regime to respond, it is also a return to
form. Time after time, without conditions has meant deception, delay,
and disregard for the United Nations.

"I am pleased to inform you of the decision of the Government of
the Republic of Iraq to allow the return of United Nations weapons
inspectors to Iraq without conditions." - Naji Sabri, Iraq's minister
of foreign affairs, September 16, 2002 (emphasis added)

The following timeline details the Iraqi regimes repeated pattern
of accepting inspections "without conditions" and then demanding
conditions, often at gunpoint. This information is derived from an
October 1998 UNSCOM report and excerpted from
http://cns.miis.edu/research/iraq/uns_chro.htm.

Date

Action

April
3, 1991

U.N. Security Council Resolution 687 (1991), Section C,
declares that Iraq shall accept unconditionally, under international
supervision, the "destruction, removal or rendering harmless" of its
weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles with a range over
150 kilometers (emphasis added). One week later, Iraq accepts
Resolution 687. Its provisions were reiterated and reinforced in
subsequent action by the United Nations in June and August of 1991.

May 1991

Iraq accepts the privileges and immunities of the
Special Commission (UNSCOM) and its personnel. These guarantees include
the right of "unrestricted freedom of entry and exit without delay or
hindrance of its personnel, property, supplies, equipment ... (emphasis
added)."

June 1991

Iraqi personnel fire warning shots to prevent
the inspectors from approaching the vehicles.

September 1991

Iraqi
officials confiscate documents from the inspectors. The inspectors
refuse to yield a second set of documents. In response, Iraq refuses to
allow the team to leave the site with these documents. A four-day
standoff ensues, but Iraq permits the team to leave with the documents
after a statement from the Security Council threatens enforcement
actions.

October 11, 1991

The Security Council adopts
Resolution 715, which approves joint UNSCOM and IAEA plans for ongoing
monitoring and verification. UNSCOMs plan establishes that Iraq shall
"accept unconditionally the inspectors and all other personnel
designated by the Special Commission" (emphasis added).

October
1991

Iraq states that it considers the Ongoing Monitoring and
Verification Plans adopted by Resolution 715 to be unlawful and states
that it is not ready to comply with Resolution 715.

February 1992

Iraq refuses to comply with an UNSCOM/IAEA decision to destroy certain
facilities used in proscribed programs and related items.

April 1992

Iraq calls for a halt to UNSCOM's aerial surveillance
flights, stating that the aircraft and its pilot might be endangered.
The President of the Security Council issues a statement reaffirming
UNSCOM's right to conduct such flights. Iraq says that it does not
intend to carry out any military action aimed at UNSCOM's aerial
flights.

July 6-29, 1992

Iraq refuses an inspection team
access to the Iraqi Ministry of Agriculture. UNSCOM said it had
reliable information that the site contained archives related to
proscribed activities. Inspectors gained access only after members of
the Council threatened enforcement action.

January 1993

Iraq
refuses to allow UNSCOM to use its own aircraft to fly into Iraq.

Iraq accepts Resolution 715 and the
plans for ongoing monitoring and verification.

October 15, 1994

The Security Council adopts Resolution 949, which demands that Iraq
"cooperate fully" with UNSCOM and that it withdraw all military units
deployed to southern Iraq to their original positions (emphasis added).
Iraq withdraws its forces and resumes working with UNSCOM.

March 1996

Iraqi security forces refuse UNSCOM teams access to five
sites designated for inspection. The teams enter the sites after delays
of up to 17 hours.

March 19, 1996

The Security Council issues a
presidential statement expressing its concern over Iraq's behavior,
which it terms "a clear violation of Iraq's obligations under relevant
resolutions." The council also demands that Iraq allow UNSCOM teams
immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access to all sites
designated for inspection (emphasis added).

March 27, 1996

Security
Council Resolution 1051 approves the export/import monitoring mechanism
for Iraq and demands that Iraq meet unconditionally all its obligations
under the mechanism and cooperate fully with the Special Commission and
the director-general of the IAEA (emphasis added).

June 1996

Iraq denies UNSCOM teams access to sites under investigation for their
involvement in the "concealment mechanism" for proscribed items.

June 12, 1996

The Security Council adopts Resolution 1060, which terms
Iraq's actions a clear violation of the provisions of the council's
earlier resolutions. It also demands that Iraq grant "immediate and
unrestricted access" to all sites designated for inspection by UNSCOM
(emphasis added).

June 13, 1996

Despite the adoption of Resolution
1060, Iraq again denies access to another inspection team.

The Security Council adopts
Resolution 1115, which condemns Iraq's actions and demands that Iraq
allow UNSCOM's team immediate, unconditional and unrestricted access to
any sites for inspection and officials for interviews (emphasis
added).

September 13, 1997

An Iraqi officer attacks an UNSCOM
inspector on board an UNSCOM helicopter while the inspector was
attempting to take photographs of unauthorized movement of Iraqi
vehicles inside a site designated for inspection.

September 17,
1997

While seeking access to a site declared by Iraq to be
"sensitive," UNSCOM inspectors witness and videotape Iraqi guards
moving files, burning documents, and dumping ash-filled waste cans into
a nearby river.

November 12, 1997

The Security Council adopts
Resolution 1137, condemning Iraq for continually violating its
obligations, including its decision to seek to impose conditions on
cooperation with UNSCOM (emphasis added). The resolution also imposes a
travel restriction on Iraqi officials who are responsible for or
participated in instances of non-compliance.

November 3, 1997

Iraq demands that US citizens working for UNSCOM leave Iraq
immediately.

December 22, 1997

The Security Council issues a
statement calling upon the government of Iraq to cooperate fully with
the commission and stresses that failure by Iraq to provide immediate,
unconditional and unrestricted access to any site is an unacceptable
and clear violation of Security Council resolutions (emphasis added)

February 20-23, 1998

Iraq signs a Memorandum of Understanding with
the United Nations on February 23, 1998. Iraq pledges to accept all
relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate fully with UNSCOM
and the IAEA, and to grant to UNSCOM and the IAEA "immediate,
unconditional and unrestricted access for their inspections (emphasis
added).

August 5, 1998

The Revolutionary Command Council and the
Baath Party Command decide to stop cooperating with UNSCOM and the IAEA
until the Security Council agrees to lift the oil embargo as a first
step towards ending sanctions.